Shawn Cohen and Ernie Garcia

The car that struck the man plunged 80 feet down an embankment, coming to a rest in the woods near the Metro-North Railroad tracks.

A car on Warburton Avenue in Hastings tore through a fence, struck a man and ended up at the bottom of a cliff near the Metro-North Railroad tracks Friday. / Photos by Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News

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HASTINGS — A motorist struck and killed a worker outside a catering hall on Warburton Avenue on Friday afternoon before plunging 80 feet down an embankment into woods near Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line tracks.

Victim Mario Moreno, 39, of the Bronx was run down while blowing leaves on the patio in preparation for a holiday party Friday night at RiverView catering hall, on Warburton Avenue at the Yonkers border, co-workers told The Journal News.

The party was postponed by the accident.

Moreno, who had worked as a handyman there for 15 years, lost a leg below the knee and went into cardiac arrest after he was hit. Paramedics performed CPR at the scene before taking him to St. John’s Riverside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hastings police, who were leading the investigation, released few details regarding the crash.

“There are no charges at this time and the driver is being cooperative,” Hastings police Sgt. Andy Hayden said late Friday night.

Hayden said police weren’t identifying the driver, who was said to be “doing fine,” but confirmed that the car had Connecticut license plates. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the crash.

“Nothing has been ruled out because everything is still under investigation,” Hayden said. “Speed is a part of the investigation.”

Yonkers Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Fitzpatrick said the vehicle was traveling south when it reached a curve that bends to the left and went out of control. The car, a Ford, tore through a fence and struck Moreno before plunging down the embankment.

The car landed on its side about 50 feet east of Metro-North’s tracks, but the driver was able to climb from the vehicle and walk up a path to the roadway, Fitzpatrick said. The driver was transported to Westchester Medical Center for treatment.

Authorities at the scene could not say whether the car was speeding.

Michael Silvestri, president of the RiverView, arrived at the scene shortly after the crash.

“I’m just devastated right now,” Silvestri said.

Co-workers said Moreno had lived with his girlfriend for eight years. While working at RiverView, he sent money to Mexico to support his mother.

Co-worker Capistran Joaquin, a chef, called Moreno “a wonderful man. He worked hard day after day.”